Sinkhole? What sinkhole? Japan fills huge chasm in two days

The sinkhole appeared on November 8. It was filled in and finished within 48 hours (Picture: AP)

We are absolutely astounded by the Japanese.

In just two days they filled a sinkhole half the size of an Olympic swimming pool that opened up in the centre of a city.

It took 48 hours to fill it up, re-tarmac it and paint it. The only delay was health and safety checks.

Here in the UK, we’re pretty sure that if part of a city collapsed in a similar way there would still be heads being scratched, investigations being carried out, and arguments over what kind of tarmac to use for the repair job.

Not in Japan.

The sinkhole is believed to have been caused by construction work on a subway and immediately the people building it humbly apologised.

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When it collapsed a building company humbly apologised to the nation for their failings (Picture: AP)

It was half the size of an Olympic swimming pool (Picture: Getty)

They bowed, said how ashamed they were and said they were sorry to an entire nation.

It would be a totally different story over here with quotes like ‘it’s too early to say who’s responsible’, and ‘it was a multi-agency cluster-f*** but nobody will be apologising, taking responsibility or losing their job over it’.

Japanese workers toiled continuously for a week, dumping huge amounts of wet cement and sand into the gaping hole and fixing electricity, gas and water lines that had stopped following the accident.

The street reopened at 5am today, Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima said in a statement, exactly a week after the ground began sinking.

Here it is with the job nearly done (Picture: Getty Images)

‘We’re very sorry for causing great trouble,’ Takashima said, noting that a ban on access to surrounding buildings was lifted.

Miraculously, no one was hurt in the accident in Fukuoka, the biggest city on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.

Many on social media expressed amazement at the quick recovery. ‘I’m surprised the road reopened in a week!,’ one Twitter user said.

‘Impressive. That was fast,’ said another.

Well done Japan!

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